The Return
by MadMoxxxi
Summary: In which the lone wanderer decides to respond to Amata's distress signal, only to relive some painful memories, and create new ones. Rated M for some mild language but ultimately for when I write a second part.


**Chapter 1: Reminiscing **

Claustrophobia. Something one can easily develop living in an underground vault all their lives. Especially when there are so little outlets of relieving boredom. So it came as a surprise to Kai that she had an aching to return to her original home of Vault 101. It seemed like returning there would be like rubbing salt in her wounds. The last month or so had not been kind to her and the vault seemed to be where it all started.

After leaving to chase after her philanthropist father, it seemed like the freedom she had longed wished for. She remembered reading Grognak the Barbarian and wishing that she could live in an alternative universe similar to that in the comic. At least then her life wouldn't be so drab, even if she was just a lonely traveller. Now, it had seemed that her dreams had come true. She was now a _lone wanderer. _Forever bound to wander the ruins of DC, searching for shelter, food, water. And always a secret conquest to find companionship. Fawkes had proved a gratifying companion, yet he lacked the human depth Kai craved. It depressed her to an unfathomable end that once she was surrounded by a sea of people, now she felt so alone.

Hunched over a sailsbury steak in her house in Megaton, she began to weep feebly. _She had to go back. _Then she remembered the people she would have to face. Amata, Wally, Mr. Brotch and worst of all, The Overseer. Honestly, she kicked herself every time she remembered she didn't shoot him in the face when she had the chance. If it wasn't for Amata she was certain she would have.

Kai strongly believed in destiny, or more so opportunities for destiny to entail. She believed she was supposed to follow her father out of the vault and into the capital wasteland, she believed she was supposed to be caught by the enclave while retrieving the G.E.C.K so she could shut down President John Henry Eden and now she believed she was supposed to return to Megaton and receive a distress signal from vault 101.

So it was settled. She'd return to the vault. And she wasn't going to waste any time doing so either. She'd pack her belongings in her rucksack and leave right away. Good thing she was so close to 101.

Sighing, she heaved her bag over her back and left Megaton, setting out once more, to settle the dust she had so unwillingly disturbed.

**Chapter 2: Welcome Home**

Arriving at the weathered, dusty brown door to the entrance of vault 101, Kai inhaled sharply. This was going to be undoubtedly _painful_. Painful in emotional and possibly a physical sense.

She turned the handle on the door and sauntered down the dark cave and halted at the intimidating metal door. Punching in the password _amata _she ran her fingers through her hair and began cleaning the dust and dirt off her worn face.

The door made the usual deafening and arduous screeching as it slid open.

Unwanted memories flooded back to Kai as she remembered the day she left the vault. Tears streaming down her face as she ran from the guards and stared behind at Amata helplessly, longing for her friend to somehow intervene. But Amata was as helpless as Kai that day.

Stepping into the vault, Kai quickly scanned the entrance. Although she wasn't hated in the vault - not when she left at least – she was aware no one in there would be too overjoyed to witness her return. Well, apart from Amata.

She headed to the door to the inner vault and using what little strength she had she pushed it open, only to find a familiar face haunting her return.

'You' It was Officer Gomez. His son Freddie was in Kai's class back when they were younger. Gomez had been the only officer who hadn't been unsettlingly eager to beat her to a pulp and drag her to the overseer. 'I hardly recognized you with all the dust and grime from out there' She couldn't help but feel a little more self conscience about her looks now she was back in the vault. Out in the wastes, no one gave a damn what you looked like. 'Guess that explains how you got the door open. You've got more experience with it than most down here combined.' For some reason Kai now felt incredibly hostile. She didn't know how to take what Officer Gomez had said to her. It's like she'd become socially handicapped since she'd left. Maybe because most people out there weren't too interested in talking. They all had stories, just didn't want to tell them.

'Wheres Amata?'

'Amata?' He looked baffled. 'You know, she could get in real trouble for talking to you, and so could I for talking to you right now.' Kai didn't know what to say. She was aware that things were extremely tense between her and the residents of the vault now, but she felt like such an outcast. Gomez must have felt sorry for her, or just realized she was confused, because he began explaining everything.

'Look, let me bring you up to speed because things have changed since you left. The night you and your dad left, things went crazy. Between bugs and confusion, we lost a lot of people.'

'Confusion?' How much confusion could there possibly have been?

'When you're dad opened that door, he let loose a whole load of crap. If you'll pardon my language.' It stung her eyes just to hear someone mention her dad.

'My dad's dead Officer Gomez. I understand things have changed but I have to see Amata.' He looked a little sullen. Kai wasn't too sure if he was on friendly terms with her dad, but he was invited to her birthday parties each year so they must have been some sort of friends. How he felt about her dad now however, was questionably different.

'I...I'm sorry. Regardless of what happened down here, he was a good friend. I always figured he'd make it outside.' Kai was happy to hear something good about her dad, regardless of whether it was sincere or not. 'In fact, a lot of folks down here got thinking he had the right idea. I suppose that's why you're here asking for Amata. She sent you some sort of distress signal?' Before Kai could reply Gomez stopped here 'Actually don't tell me. It could get you both into trouble. The problem is kid, that many people started thinking that we should open the vault again.'

'Why? What's wrong with the vault?'

'They don't want to leave. Just open it to make trips for supplies and such. What we've got won't last forever, and the world is rapidly evolving, yet we're still stuck in here doing the same thing for god knows how long. So the overseer condemns the ones that want to open the vault the rebels, and the rest of us. Well, we're just trying to get along.' Although Kai knew Amata wanted her to return to the vault for a reason, it hurt her a little when she realized it. Amata knew Kai would resolve the conflict down here, either by force or by her silver tongue. It didn't matter to Kai, but it mattered to Amata.

'I better go see Amata then. You know where she is?'

'Sure kid. She's in your dad's old office.' _Dad's old office. _Sounded so strange. 'I'd be careful though. No doubt some of the guard's will want to take you to the overseer. I knew better than to try' Kai smirked.

'I always liked you Officer Gomez.' She laughed as she swung open the door to the stairs. Officer Gomez chuckled to himself, sheathing his 10mm as he did so.

**Chapter 3: Teenage Rebellion**

The vault hadn't changed. It was still dull, characterless, depressing. Yet welcoming, homely. The atmosphere within it had changed though. It no longer felt like a haven, no longer safe for everyone. It was safe for Kai of course. Train tunnels and caves were safe for Kai. She was a light sleeper and slept with her 10mm in her hand, but the vault was silent. Apart from a fracas between a Freddie Gomez-who was wearing a Tunnel Snakes jacket- and Officer Taylor, the old coot's aim was as terrible now as when Kai left.

She saw Wally Mack as she approached her dad's office. He was sitting in the diner, drinking water, alone. He wasn't wearing his Tunnel Snake's jacket. Although she would rather avoid confrontation with Wally, she couldn't. He would notice her as she walked past him and it's unlikely he wouldn't have something to say to her.

'Oh boy are you in trouble.' There it was. Kai scrunched up her face and glared at him.

'You don't think I'm aware.' She began studying him. Although it had only been a month or two since she had left, there were noticeable differences in everyone and Wally was no exception. His hair was cleaner, not full of that gunk like Butch's, his vault suit was certainly cleaner, his face less grimy, more worn yet friendlier. But the biggest difference was his lack of leather jacket with a largely obnoxious logo on the back 'Where's your jacket? You got kicked out of Butch's little gang?' She mocked him because she knew it angered him, and honestly she didn't feel like being nice to anyone.

'I'm done with that stupid gang! I'm sure glad I was before all of this kicked off. I grew up, unlike Butch and the others. Now you and your dad have messed everything up. You should have seen my pop. He personally saved old Stanley, but you wouldn't know what it's like to have a hero for a dad.' Kai's blood boiled. Like he knew anything about her father. But instead of causing a fight, which she was usually willing to do, she turned around and continued to walk to her father's office.

'My dad's dead Wally.'

Kai took deep breathes to keep herself steady. She wasn't sure if she was ready for all this confrontation. She dragged herself up the stairs, her feet aching and her head spinning with a migraine. Maybe the vault lighting really was as bad as they said. And just when her migraine couldn't seem any worse she saw a familiar figure. The figure was so familiar because it had been a giant pain in her ass all her life. _Butch._

'Damn. Look who's come waltzing back into the vault.' Kai sighed. Again realizing how unprepared she was. She continued to look at the ground, then forced her eyes to meet Butch's. His gaze tore right through her. It was like being a kid all over again. Butch being so overpowering and threatening and Kai being helpless. Although now he looked so different, so mature and much more masculine, she still felt his childish insults burning in her mind.

'It takes some real balls coming back here after everything you and your dad screwed up. Honestly, she wasn't sure how many more jabs about her dad she could take. I suppose it wouldn't have been so heart wrenching if he wasn't dead.

'Me and my dad? We only left the vault Butch we're not responsible for the Overseer losing his marbles over it.' Kai was going to make sure Butch was not going to be pushing her around. She was different now. She was a survivor. She didn't take people's bullshit out in the wastes and hell if she was going to let her high school bully push her around.

'Well since you're back, we can make use of you. You got to help us.'

'This is the second time you've asked for my help now.' Not as though he even had to ask the first time. Saving his mother from radroaches wasn't exactly putting herself out there. Although Ellen Deloria was an obvious lazy alcoholic, she was still worth saving. Kai began to walk past him but he stood directly in her way.

'Yeah yeah and I owe you. How about I buy you a drink once we get outta here.' Kai laughed in his face and took a step forward, she only came up to his shoulders and she felt underwhelming threatening.

'What do you mean? You're not leaving here Butch. You don't belong out there, you're a hairdresser. There aren't many vacancies for a hairdresser.' Butch grabbed her arm and pushed her into the wall. It hurt, but not enough to make her show it.

' I'm not a damn hairdresser! I'm a barber, there's a difference see.'

'Not really.'

'Yeah. Really.' Butch propped up his arm over Kai's head and leaned into her. He was so close Kai could smell the peppermint chewing gum he had been so vigorously gnawing on.

'Where's Amata?'

'Amata? You think she's gonna help you solve this shit storm we're in? Hell no Bambi. I know exactly how we're gonna resolve this shit, and you're going to be the one to do it.' _Bambi. _She hated when he called her that. The only time he did was when he was trying to sweet talk her into doing something ridiculous or dangerous that would only benefit him. It was off some pre-war movie about a lonely lost deer. Suppose it was more fitting now than ever.

'Back off Butch. I need to see Amata, now! Any plan you got in mind will most likely end up making this situation worse so how about you keep your mouth shut and leave this to the grownups.' Kai held her breath awaiting a response. She'd never spoken to Butch like that. _Never._ Because she knew damn well that if she did, He'd make sure she'd regret it.

Instead Butch smirked and ran a hand through his hair. He slowly backed up a step or two from Kai and flicked out his switchblade and carefully began twiddling with the shiny blade.

'Bambi. We gotta get out of here. I can't stand it anymore. I'm like you, see? I gotta have freedom. Now I'm not trying to put ideas in your head here, but I hear old Stanley's especially paranoid about the reactor overheating ever since it was damaged the night you and your pop took off. Just putting the idea out there. If that reactor was somehow...destroyed, I guess then we'd all have to leave the vault right?' What a ridiculous idea Kai thought to herself. Destroying the generator was the worst idea Butch had ever come up with, and he'd come up with some pretty ridiculous ideas.

There came a familiar voice from her dad's office and Kai quickly dismissed Butch and continued to the nostalgic office. Just as she approached the door she saw Amata. It felt strange, seeing her after all that happened. She was as pretty as ever. Still glowing even under these unflattering cheap vault lights. Amata turned her gaze towards Kai and her face lit up. Kai no longer felt on uneasy and on edge, it felt like she was back home again.

'You're back! You really came back!' Amata seemed hysterically happy and she eagerly hugged Kai tightly.

'Yeah I'm back Amata. I couldn't just ignore you're little distress signal now could I?' Kai pinched herself, it seemed like she was mocking Amata for needing her help.

'I'm sorry that I had to ask you. Especially while you were looking for your dad. That is, if you are still looking for him.' She looked up at Kai with a widened gaze, almost desperate for some good news or reassurance. At that moment Butch appeared in the doorway, leaning while he twiddled his hands through his hair once more. Kai just began to notice the other people in the room. Susie Mack, Beatrice, Mr. Brotch, Andy. All seemed like ghosts of her past, yet they were so very present.

'Bambi's little conquest for daddy.' Butch mocked, hoping to stoke a fire in Kai that he knew was still there. 'So did you find daddy Kai?'

'Yeah I found him. But that's not important. So Amata, you going to tell me what you need me to do?' That's what Kai was used to now. Being told what she needed to do and doing it. Of course occasionally she would have to make decisions but she always felt she'd made the right ones.

'Alive?' Butch queried.

'What?' Kai knew what he was asking, she just wanting to prolong the time she had to think about what to respond with. It was hard explaining to other people that he father had died. To them, he was just the vault Physician, the guy who escaped, who put the vault in jeopardy. To Kai, he was her hero, a selfless luminary who risked his cosy life in the vault for the future of mankind.

'Your pop Bambi. He alive?' A deathly silence dwindled down upon everyone in the room at that moment and Kai had never felt more alone. All eyes were upon her, awaiting the answer to Butch's heart wrenching question.

'No, Butch. My dad isn't alive anymore.' Everyone's faces fell. Although they had their preconceptions of James, they would be different now that he was dead. 'He sacrificed himself to save me and the other scientists we were working with.' Amata reached for Kai's hand and squeezed it, reassuring her.

'Scientists?' Butch enquired, almost as if he had not just heard Bambi announce her father's death. Of course, this came as no surprise, Butch could hardly be described a compassionate.

'Yes. Project Purity. That's what we were working on. Wanted to make water in the wasteland radiation free. We almost had it too, and then the Enclave showed up trying to take it for themselves. Dad was in the main chamber of the project, the Enclave were in there too. Trying to make him tell them the code, but Dad wouldn't tell them. Instead of giving them the code, he filled the chamber with radiation, killing himself and the Enclave. Me and the other scientists escaped through the underground.' It felt surprisingly good to finally formally announce his death, to get it out there and no longer avoid it.

Amata hugged Kai once more, took her hand and began to lead her out of the office. Everyone else remained silent as they left.

'Kai I'm so sorry. I had no idea, if I had know I-' Kai stopped her. She didn't want her sympathy, she just wanted to help. Maybe it would take her mind off things.

'Amata stop. I don't want your sympathy, I just want to help.' Amata smiled weakly as they arrived at Kai's old room.

'Thanks Kai. You know, I always knew you'd make it out there. You're more strong willed than most people here combined.' Before she could reply, Butch appeared behind Amata, lingering around like a bad smell.

'Hey bambi, can I speak with you for a second?' Amata frowned deeply and ogled Butch.

'Go away Butch. She doesn't want you sniffing around. Just go back to your stupid gang.' It struck Kai how childish Amata seemed compared to herself. Maybe it was just because of how different everyone was outside, but now she had returned she couldn't help but keep comparing the vault to outside.

Kai barely opened her mouth to reply when Wally Mack came charging down the corridor.

'Amata! You gotta come quick, it's your dad, Amata!' He hunched over and began panting. 'I..I think he's dead.' Amata dropped Kai's hand and her face went pale. She gawped at Kai with a pained expression and all Kai could do was stare helplessly back.

'Where is he Wally? In his office?' Amata thundered. 'Where!'

'Yeah yeah his office.' Amata began charging through the vault, Kai and Butch chasing eagerly after her. Kai couldn't help but notice the slight smirk on Butch's face and she wasn't going to hide the fact that she was slightly pleased also. Of course she felt terrible that Amata may have potentially lost her father but he murdered Jonas and he was more than willing to have Kai slaughtered. The man was nuts.

Amata instantly fell to her knees as she reached the office of her father, the overseer. Tears streamed down her face and she clasped the sides of her head tightly in sheer dismay and agony. There the overseer lay. Sprawled out across the floor, blanketed with blood, and with a gaping hole through the middle of his head.

'Holy shit...' Butch breathed. I don't think he had expected death to be this macabre. Amata continued crying frenziedly. Kai crouched down and reached her hand across Amata's shoulder, attempting to comfort her.

'Why would someone do this!' She cried. Kai shook her head helplessly, not knowing what to say.

'Amata you should go back to your room, we'll sort this out.' Amata grasped Kai's knee.

'Just..just leave me alone.' This was obviously going to be intensely difficult for Amata, and although Kai knew what she was going through, she understood that would bring little comfort to Amata.

Kai grabbed Butch and pulled him away, his eyes still gawking at the bloody mess on the floor. She shut the door behind them and began walking back to her room. Now she had to find out who murdered the overseer.

**Chapter 4: A Painful Memory**

'Shit. I can't get that image out my head.' Butch whelped yet again. He had continued speaking of nothing but the overseer's murder for at least 3 hours now. Kai sighed heavily and rolled over onto her side to face Butch who was sitting on the armchair directly in front of the sofa. The armchair her dad used to sit in.

'Butch get over it. Seriously, this is why you wouldn't last out there. I've seen stuff ten times worse than that.' And boy was that true.

'Shut up Bambi. You can say that now you've been out there. I ain't never seen death before. Not like that anyway.' Kai shut her eyes, hoping he would shut up and she could get some rest, but it didn't seem to discourage him at all. 'What was it like first time you saw someone die?' She knew this would happen. Hundreds of questions about life outside the vault.

'I don't remember Butch.'

'Yeah you do, you just don't want to tell me. I knew you'd be like this.'

'Then why did you ask me.' She snarled hoping to shut him up.

'Because I want to know. You can't just waltz back in here and expect to act like you're the same as when you left. I know you've seen stuff Kai, so why don't you just talk to me.'

'Talk to you? Why the hell would I want to talk to you Butch? Of all people.' Attempting to emotionally hurt Butch had never worked out for Kai and she didn't expect it to work now, yet she still tried it.

'God you're such a bitch sometimes.'

'To you I am yeah. That's probably because you bullied me for most of my life.'

'Move on Bambi. We're eighteen now! Last time I bullied you was like-' Kai shot up so fast she gave herself a headrush.

'Like a month ago! Like 3 days before I left the vault!' She stood up now, towering above Butch who slumped back into his armchair. 'You were an asshole to me all my life, so excuse me if I'm not eager to be your new best friend.' Butch smirked, seemingly unaffected by what Kai had said. He stood up and took her shoulders firmly in his hands.

'Chill out Bambi. It's like you're bi-polar or something.' Kai swiped his hands away and slumped down onto the coffee table. Butch looked down at her and laughed. 'Fine. We'll stop talking about outside, but that means we gotta talk about inside.'

'Inside?' Kai wiped her forehead with her sleeve and huffed.

'Yeah. You wanna talk about the past? I'm up for that. It'll be like being in the psychologist's office again.'

'You went to the psychologist's office? What did you have to see him about Butch? You got mommy issues or something?' Butch strutted over to the fridge and began searching for something in there.

'Fuck you Bambi. Me and my mom are fine. If anyone's got parent issues around here, it's you and Amata.' There he went again, throwing the bait. But Kai was determined not to bite.

'Funny how we're all missing a dad.' Butch scuffled back over to Kai and sat in front of her on the armchair, their knees touched and he handed her a cold beer.

'Funny? Yeah I guess. Least I got one parent though. You and Amata are orphans now.'

'You'll probably be an orphan soon, the way your mom drinks.' Butch chugged his beer and prodded Kai right in the shoulder, forcing her to grab onto his knees to stop her from falling backwards.

'Quit taking jabs at my mom squirt. She likes drinking, so she does it a lot. So what?' Kai loved how Butch thought. Regardless of how much of an asshole he was, sometimes she realized how liberal he was.

'I guess. Doesn't it ever get to you?'

'Nah. Honestly, I like her better when she's drunk.' Butch's situation was sad, but not as sad as Kai's. 'So come on Bambi. Tell me what you've been up to in the wastes.' Kai inhaled sharply.

'Erm, not much. I mean, DC is big, haven't explored it all but, I'm getting there. My main objective at the moment is to destroy the Enclave. First I've got to visit another vault -87- to find something that's vital to project purity.' Butch was intrigued by Kai. She seemed so dull before she left. Stunning to look at but.. dull. She wasn't a nerd like Freddie Gomez, but she wasn't cool like Susie Mack. She wasn't anything. But maybe it was because he hadn't taken the time to get to know her.

'You carrying on with that?' Butch inquired, seemingly genuinely intrigued but Kai's determination.

'Yes. Why wouldn't I? I'm not going to let the Enclave win. Fuck them man.' Kai swigged her beer around in it's bottle and sipped it.

'Yeah, fuck them. Hey you really got to explain to me who the Enclave are. So this vault, is it like this one?'

'Not exactly. It's full of super mutants.'

'Super what!' Kai was finding this more difficult than expected.

'Ah Butch, it's difficult to explain all this stuff. The wasteland is so different.' Butch placed one hand on her knee and leaned towards her face.

'Then take me with you. Please Bambi I can't stand it here anymore.' Kai sniffed and threw her head back groaning.

'I..I know you want to get out there, and I'd love to someone just to be around with me. But if something..if you ever. Look Butch, if something ever happened to you, if you got hurt, I don't think I could handle that.' He cackled and placed his hand on her cheek.

'Bambi's got a soft side eh?' Embarrassed, Kai pushed her face into his hand trying to hide. 'Even though I'm an asshole and everything?' She patted his hand on her face and brought it back down to her knee.

'You seem a little different now. I think.' She hated feeling this vulnerable.

'Honestly, I always thought you enjoyed our little fights. I know I did.' Kai scrunched her face up. _Our little fights?_

'Yeah it was tons of fun. Wally and Paul holding me down while you gave me my weekly beating, fucking loved it.' As she spoke she traced a scar along her cheek that Butch had given her when they were 16.

_There were showing some pre-war movies in the cinema room on a Friday night. Kai went with Amata hoping to take some time out after finishing the G.O.A.T exam earlier that day. But she forgot something and ventured back to her room to retrieve it. Unfortunately she met Butch and his gang on her way there, who had somehow acquired switchblades. Kai tried to run to the reactor room, as that was closest at the time, the Tunnel Snakes split up to try and look for her and deeply unlucky for Kai, Butch found her. He threatened to repay her for earlier in the day, right before the G.O.A.T. Butch had stolen Amata's book and was waving it in the air keeping it from Amata's reach. Kai saw her friend struggling and punched Butch in the gu,t grabbed the book and ran into the classroom. Butch said he was going to make sure she would pay. And pay she did. He stuck the blade into the delicate skin on her cheek and dragged it down to her chin, marking her and laughing as he did so. Blood fell down her face and splashed onto her knees. Then as he left he spat 'Now every time you look at your pretty little face in the mirror, you'll remember me.'_

Kai felt cold all of a sudden. It had been a while since she had been hurt by Butch and his gang, and she'd almost forgotten how many times he had hurt her and how serious each time had been. She stared into Butch's eyes and continued tracing the callous mark on her cheek, her eyes began to fill but she fought hard to stop tears from falling.

'That scar.' Butch remarked, replacing her hand with his as he too traced his finger along it. 'I..I remember it.'

'Of course you do.' Kai murmured, as one single tear fell down her face. 'You gave it me.'


End file.
